Packing for rotary engines and compressors



H, S. WHITE.

. PACKING FOR ROTARY ENGINES AND COMPRESSORS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.29. 1919.

1,409,986. Patented Mar. 21 1922.

JFLN

INVENTOR. HENRY 5 WH/ TE.

A TTORNEY.

UNITED STATES HENRY S. W'HITE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

PATENT OFFICE.

. ssreivon, BY nnsnn ASSIGNMENTS, TO

AMERICAN ROTARY ENGINE (30.. 0E3. GRAND RAPIDS, WISCONSIN; A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

PACKINGIOR ROTARY ENGINES AND OOMIRESSORS.

Original application filed February 25, 1918, Serial No. 219,0405

December 29, 1919.

To all 2072mm it may concern.

Be it known that I, HENRY S. lVHirn, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at- Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Packings for Rotary Engines and Compressors, of which the tol lowing is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved form of packing for the rotary piston or inner element in a device otthe class comprised of rotary engines, compressors and the like where the inner element which may be alled a rotor or piston moves relatively to an enclosing casing under the action of fluid under pressure or for the purpose of compressing or pumping fluid and the like. By my invention I provide an improved means by which the outer surface of the rotor or inner member may be made fluid tight relatively to the inner surface of the casing and also means by which the'end walls of the inner member may be made fluid tight relatively to the end walls of the casing.

This is a divisional application of my copending application Serial No. 210.0%); in which application a novel form of compressor is described, shown and claimed. My present application is therefore limited to the packing device employed and i show in the present application a simple "form oi compressor substantially the same as the disclosure in my above application mentioned, it being understood that this complete machine is simply illustrated as a device in which my packing be used and I do not limit myself to the use of saidpacking either in compressors or rotary engines but that on the'other hand the packing is of use in connection with any device of the nature shown in this case where it is desirable to pack the ends or outer surface or both, of the inner member;

My invention will best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing a preferred embodiment thereof, in which Fig. 1 shows a compressor in transverse sectional view to show the packing levicc Specification of Letters Patent.

Divided and this application filed el'ial No. 348,166.

in place on the inner member. of said com pressor,

Fig. 2 shows the packing elements em- Patented Mar. 21, 1922;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken 7 longitudinally of the compressor through the lower part of the inner element and outs element along the line 8-3 in Fig. 1 to show the construction and location of the packing elements on the inner member of the compressor, and

Fig. 4 shows in a view similar to Fig. 3 a. modified construction of inner member permitting the use of part of my packing devices to accomplish the function intended of packing the ends of the inner member against the corresponding end walls 01 the construction.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The construction or" the compressor shown in the drawings, which is substantially the same as shown in my co-pending application referred to, consists of a cylindrical casing having end walls 1 and a cylindrical shell- 2 bored internally to engage the cooperating parts contained in the casing. The casing has projecting inwardly and radially from its outer wall a diaphragm 4 which is rigidly secured to the casing. A rotor 5 is disposed cccentrically in the casing and consists of a cylindrical member mounted on a. suitable shaft-6. The rotor 5. is provided with a recess -for receiving the diaphragm at and suitable guide plates Sand 9 mounted on either side of the diaphragm supported upon bearing pins or rods 16, which construction permits a slight degree of angular motion of the diaphragm relatively to the rotor as thed vice is operated. The shaft 6 and the ends of the compressor are provided with suit-: able bearings not shown for supporting the friction and wear.

arrow by suitable means as a result of which communicates by a passageway 23 with a bore 24 through the other end of the" shaft 6, the bores in the shaft being separated from each other. i

The relation between the rotor and the casing is such that the rotor is practically in contact with or tangent to the inner cy lindrical surface of the casing along the lower longitudinal element of the rotor, be ing separated therefrom slightly to prevent To prevent leakage of the air under pressure from the compartment 11 to the compartment 10,1 provide packing devices between the rotor and the casing as follows: the end faces of the rotor just clear the inner end faces of the casing and in the outer edges of the end faces of the rotor grooves are formed to receive packing rings 12, and within these grooves additional grooves are formed to receive triangular or equivalent packing rings 13 of metal which are in the form of expansion rings of the kind ordinarily employed as piston rings with th exception that the cross section of the rings is triangular instead of rectangular and in the construction shown the base of the triangular cross section is innermost so that the hypotenuse of the triangular section rests against the corresponding face of the groove formed in the rotor. The vertical face of eachpacking ring 13 is in contact with the inner vertical face of the ring 1'12 as a result of which the tendency of the ring 13 to expand acting upon the triangular face of its containing groove exert-s pressure longitudinally of the rotor against the packing ring 12 thus tending to move it against the corresponding end wall of the casing and in this mannerfluid tight joints are made between the ring 12 and the end of the casing. between the ring 13 and the packing ring 12 and also between the ring 13 and the rotor 5. As a result of the outward movement of the packing ring 12 by the trinagular'ring 13 in the manner described, there is a slight clearance between the inner faces of the ring 12 and the vertical faces of the grooves containing them in the rotor which would permit fluid to pass the tangent point between the rotor and the casing were there no additional means to prevent it. To prevent'this leakage and also to prevent leaks around the cylindrical surface of the rotor at the point referred to, I provide a plurality of ballle bars le which extend longitudinally of the rotor on its cylindrical surface, these 1 ,409,osc

bars being of T-shaped :ross section and contained in slots in the cylindrical face of the rotor which are of correspondingcross section. The slots for the bars 14 in the rotor are of such a size as to permit radial movement only of'the bars in the rotor so that the outer surfaces of the bars will come positively into engagement with-the cylindrical surface of the casing as the rotor passesthe tangent point. The slots in the rotor are sufficiently deep so that this action takes place without bottoming of the bars in the slots at the time of passing the tangent point and I find that rotation of the device keeps the bars in their outermost position by the centrifugal action of the bars,

as a result of which there are always several of the bars in contact with the inner cylindrical surface of the casing as the tangent point is passed in the operation of the device. As shown in Fig. 3 the relation be tween the triangular expansion ring 13 and the bars 14 is such that the outer edge of said ring extends slightly beyond the head of the T-shaped portion on each bar, as a result of which the portion. of each bar which extends from the expansion ring 13 outwardly is of rectangular coss section through a corresponding slot formed to receive the same in the packing ring 12. in this manner although the bars 14 are slightly shorter than the-longitudinal dimension be tween the inner vertical faces of the casing;, the packing ring 12-, the triangular expansion. ring 13 and the bars 1a coop-crate to pack the joints between the rotor and the casing both on the cylindrical exterior surface of the rotor and the end, surfaces of the same. i

In some cases as for example where it is not required to use the ,device in connection with high pressure, a slightly modified con struction is effective consisting in providing the rotor 5 with triangular; grooves in its ends for containing the triangular expa sien rings 13 without making use of the pacuuig rings 12 or the bars 1 1, as shownin li In this case the action of the triangular rings is substantially th same above described the only difference being that their outer faces bear directly against the inner faces of the casing In this case the parts are so Y disposed that the outer cylindrical surface of the rotor 5 is in'contact with the inner cylindrical surface of the casing at the point shown my packing as used in. connection with a compressor of the kind described it may be used with any similar type of device in which there is an inner elementhaving a relative lateral movement in an enclosing casing, regardless of the manner in which the lateral movement is produced, and regardless also of whether the device is constructed to be used as a compressor or as a prime mover.

While I have shown my invention in the particular embodiment above described it will be understood that I do not limit myself to this exact construction in carrying out my invention, as I may employ equivalents known to the art at the time of the filing of this application without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A packing for a cylindrical member comprising an end packing ring, longitudinal baffle bars ending at said ring, and an expansion ring engaging said packing ring adjacent the ends of said bars to exert an outwardly directed side thrust on said packing ring.

2. A packing for a cylindrical member comprising an end packing ring, longitudinal baffle bars ending at said ring, and an expansion ring engaging said packing ring adjacent the ends of said bars to exert an outwardly directed side thrust on said packing ring, said packing ring having radial slots fitting the ends of said bars.

3. A packing for a cylindrical member comprising an end packing ring, longitudinal bafiie bars ending at said ring, and an expansion ring engaging said packing ring adjacent the ends of said bars to exert an outwardly directed side thrust on said packing ring, said bars packing the outer cylindrical surface of said member and the inner face of said packing ring.

4. A packing for a rotary cylindrical member having longitudinal slots of T- shaped cross section in its cylindrical surface comprising baiile bars of similar cross section fitting said slots circumferentially and having play in said slots radially, whereby the centrifugal action upon said bars due to their rotation moves them outwards to packing position.

5. A packing for a rotary cylindrical member having longitudinal slots in its cylindrical surface comprising baiiie bars of' similar cross section to said slots fitting said slots circuniferentially and having play in said slots radially and means for limiting outward movement of said bars in said slots to a radial position slightly farther out than their packing position, whereby the centrifugal force exerted on said bars holds them in packing position.

6. A packing for a device having a hollow casing with substantially parallel inner end surfaces and an inner member having substantially parallel end walls adjacent said inner endisurfaces andadapted .to movement laterally in; said casing comprising end packing ringsof metal to be carried by said member to engage said inner surfaces and.

end surfaces and an inner member having substantially parallel end walls adjacent said inner end surfaces and adapted to movement laterally in said casing comprising end packing rings of metal to be carried by said member to engage said inner surfaces and split triangular metal rings to be carried by said member between it and said packing rings, said split rings being restrained radially when in place and tending to move said packing rings apart.

8. A packing for a device having a 1101- low casing with substantially parallel inner end surfaces and an inner member having substantially parallel end walls adjacent said inner end surfaces and adapted to movement laterally in said casing and having end grooves with outwardly diverging end walls comprising flat end packing rings of metal and split metal rings engaging said packing rings and having inner outwardly diverginged e surfaces, said split rings being restrained radially when in place and tending to move apart. L

9. A packing for a device having a hollow cylindrical casing with substantially parallel inner end surfaces and an inner cylindrical member havingsubstantially parallel end walls adjacent said inner end surfaces and adapted to movement laterally in said casing and having longitudinal grooves in its cylindrical surface and end grooves comprising baflie bars fitting said longitudinal grooves circumferentially and having limited motion therein radially, metal packing rings and split metal rings for place ment in said end grooves, said bars engaging said packing rings and said split rings engaging said packing rings and having inclined edge faces and restrained when in place and tending to move said packing rings apart.

10. A packing for a device having a hollow cylindrical casing with substantially parallel inner end surfaces and an inner cylindrical member having substantially parallel end walls adjacent said inner end surfaces and adapted to movement laterally in said casing and having longitudinal grooves in its cylindrical surface and end grooves having outwardly diverging edge surfaces comprising baflie bars of T-shaped cross section fitting said longitudinal grooves cli'cumferentlally and havlng limited motlon therein radially, flat metal packing rings and split metal rings for placement in said end grooves in engagement with said fiat rings, said split rings having outwardly diverging inner edge surfaces and tending 

